I know it’s not easy for people to watch their yards turn brown, but I’m more concerned with drinking water… and I think city managers/water utility directors should be too.

We here in south Florida are in the middle of a drought some experts say might last as many as two or three years. We usually outdo even Seattle in annual rainfall, at roughly 52 inches a year, but as of today we here in Broward have been blessed with a paltry 5 inches. Good news for those still sporting blue tarps in lieu of a proper roof, but an extreme or exceptional drought may well be in store.

We get part of our drinking water during the dry season from Lake Okeechobee, which is currently about a foot off its all time low at 9.74ft. Lake Graphic. That’s not happening now.
If this were SimCity I’d just cheat and build some desalination plants, but so far south Florida regards that technology as too expensive.

Basically, this peninsula is stretched to its limits trying to support this many people… and the Everglades -becoming ever lower- may be tapped to help us through this severely dry period, further endangering many species living there.

Our city and county officials aren’t helping. The first residential water restrictions were 3 day a week yard watering. I can’t find it, but an article in the Sun Sentinel quoted a wonk as saying that our “free ride was over”, which incensed me no end. Water management is THEIR job, not ours. Water restrictions are now, forever, in place at 3 days a week for residential customers here in Broward. That’s fine, but don’t assume we were all out here taking advantage of the water we buy at a high price, might I add. [Maybe reading this makes no sense at all, but trust me, it does in my brain.]

A short time later we were told that it wasn’t helping, and 2 day a week watering kicked in. Next week they will decide on 1 day a week… Palm Beach is already at that stage.
My problem is… we know right now, like they knew last month, that this is a severe shortage and there are no new water supplies at hand. This is a drought of sense. Our very drinking water is in jeopardy; STOP dancing around the issue and put an end to such extravagances as yard irrigation and washing the SUV in the driveway. Take that truck to a car wash that employs a water reclamation system!
I would recommend bathing together, but that hasn’t helped cut down shower time for Arthur and I at all. Go figure!

I’m very much looking forward to the rainy season, and fellow south Floridians, remember: If it’s yellow let it mellow; if it’s brown flush it down!

Florida drought monitor